1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains generally to multi-axle transport vehicles for moving heavy loads, and more particularly to a dual lane multi-axle transport vehicle.
2. Background Art
Heavy hauling vehicles for moving transformers, cranes, boats, industrial equipment, and other heavy objects are well known in the art. An example of such a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,078 which discloses a heavy load hauler for traveling on conventional roadways for moving heavy construction equipment such as cranes or the like from one work site to another. The hauler includes a front tractor drawn carriage, a rear carriage, and a load unit disposed between and carried by the carriages. The front carriage is supported upon a multiplicity of independent wheel and axle units. There is a first fifth wheel coupling at the leading end of the front carriage for connecting to the fifth wheel coupling of a tractor. A second fifth wheel coupling is spaced rearwardly on the front carriage.
The load carrying rear carriage is also supported upon a multiplicity of independent wheel and axle units. There is a fifth wheel coupling intermediate the leading and trailing ends of the rear carriage. The load unit has forwardly and rearwardly projecting goosenecks. Each gooseneck has a fifth wheel coupling. The fifth wheel coupling located on the forwardly projecting gooseneck connects to the fifth wheel coupling on the front carriage. The fifth wheel coupling located on the rearwardly projecting gooseneck connects to the fifth wheel coupling on the rear carriage. The load unit may be either the crane itself or a flatbed upon which the crane is carried. At least some of the independent wheel and axle units are steerably mounted on their carriages. Each wheel and axle unit has its wheels supported by a hydraulic suspension. Hydraulic circuitry interconnects all of the suspensions so as to equally distribute the load among all of the wheel units. Steering of the independent wheel and axle units is interphased for the front and rear carriages by a pair of operatively associated interrelated in-line valve cylinder units. FIG. 12A of U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,078 shows a valve 718 used in a power steering system which is coupled to a connecting link 703.
Other heavy hauling vehicles are sold by Goldhofer Fahrzeugwerk G.m.b.H. of Memmingen, Germany; Nicolas of Champs Sur Yonne, France; and Talbert of Rensselaer, Ind. Further, heavy hauling services utilizing heavy hauling vehicles are shown in advertising by Jake's Crane, Rigging & Transport International of Las Vegas, Nev. Traditionally, these heavy haul transport vehicles of the prior art occupy two lanes of the highway and move at very slow speeds such as five miles per hour because of limitations in the equipment. Many of the traditional wide axle heavy transport vehicle systems of the prior art are difficult to control and are virtually impossible to move in the reverse direction. These traditional heavy transport vehicle systems require many manual steering adjustments during travel that are both difficult to complete and inefficient. Any necessary turns other than minor turns may require the stopping of the transport vehicle and manually turning the wheel axles. Further, variations in the road surface such as dips, holes, and slants may break equipment if higher speeds are attempted.
While these traditional heavy transport vehicle systems are designed to meet the requirements of the Vehicle and Transportation Codes of many states regarding axle spacing, in general, they have not had either an automatic steering system or the ability to travel at high speeds. The heavy transport vehicle systems disclosed by the prior art that currently do have automatic steering have neither the overall width nor the axle spacing required for optimum heavy transport in many states such as the State of California. In some traditional heavy transport vehicle systems, the movement of a front tow bar causes a corresponding movement in the front wheels of the front dolly about a pivot. However, the rear wheels of the dollies do not steer. The rear dollies are not connected to the steering of the front dolly and must be steered manually by pushing or pulling on the steering arm link as the vehicle moves slowly forward. Finally, these traditional heavy transport vehicle systems must be completely disassembled for transport between job locations.
Improved systems having a plurality of modules joined by a mechanically connected, load bearing means that form a dual lane transport body, including a single central spine extending through the modules, and having an automatic power steering system for controlling the steering angle of a plurality of axles, an axle steering system for providing all axle steering at any speed, and a suspension system that responds rapidly to the varying road conditions imposed by higher speeds would greatly reduce the time and effort to transport a payload.